Free medical outreach brings vital services to remote Sheema
The Caravan seeks to address health, education and other social challenges affecting communities in Nyabwina and surrounding areas through free specialised medical services, legal aid and community empowerment programmes.
During the medical camp, some patients received free medication, eyeglasses and wheelchairs,. (Photos by Bruno Mugizi)
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Residents in Nyabwina, Sheema District, have benefited from free medical services during a one-day medical camp organised by the Archdiocese of Mbarara Development Association (AMDA) at St John’s Secondary School, Nyabwina, in Masheruka subcounty.
The medical camp is part of the 12th annual AMDA Caravan 2026, being held at St Claret Catholic Parish, Nyabwina, from September 4 to 6, 2026, under the theme “Muzahura” (The Saviour).
During the medical camp, some patients received free medication, eyeglasses and wheelchairs, while those with serious medical conditions were referred to different hospitals for further treatment and specialised care.
The Caravan seeks to address health, education and other social challenges affecting communities in Nyabwina and surrounding areas through free specialised medical services, legal aid and community empowerment programmes.
Community faces service gaps
AMDA chairperson Chris Gumisiriza said Nyabwina was selected after an assessment revealed significant gaps in access to health and education services.
When we did the assessment, we realised that people in Nyabwina were facing significant challenges in accessing education and health services. It is a remote area, so residents cannot easily access the specialised services that we want to offer,” Gumisiriza said.
He said the Caravan was intended to bring essential services closer to residents while mobilising resources to support long-term development in the parish.
The medical camp offered general and paediatric care, eye and dental services, cancer screening, cardiology services and other specialised medical interventions.
Dr Rodrigo Nyinoburyo, the head of AMDA’s health department, said a large number of residents had turned up for screening and treatment.
He said cancer screening, eye care and dental services were among the most sought-after services.
Beneficiaries grateful
Residents who benefited from the medical camp praised AMDA for bringing specialised services closer to the community.
Edith Nshemerirwe said the camp helped her access emergency care for a patient with a heart-related condition.
“I thank AMDA for bringing a medical camp. I had a patient who had a heart disease. When we were about to get to where we were supposed to get treatment, he fainted. They gave him first aid and now we have been transferred to Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, where he is going to have the mass removed from his throat for examination,” she said.
Leonard Bamugyeya, a teacher, said he had struggled to see clearly while marking students’ examination papers but was now able to perform his duties better after receiving eyeglasses.
“I had an issue of short-sightedness. I could not mark students’ papers because I could not see. Now that I have been given eyeglasses, I will perform my duties well,” Bamugyeya said.
Ministry promotes community screening
Dr Stavia Turyahabwe, the commissioner for communicable disease prevention and control at the Ministry of Health, urged communities to embrace community-based disease screening to promote early detection and treatment.
The approach is particularly important in TB control because it helps health workers identify people who may not seek care at health facilities, screen them, test suspected cases and link those diagnosed with TB to treatment.
TB remains a threat
Dr James Ndyanabo, the coordinator for tuberculosis and leprosy control in the Ankole region, warned that tuberculosis remains a major public health concern in the region.
Ndyanabo said community-based screening had helped health workers identify people with TB who would otherwise not seek medical attention.
“When we started testing people in their villages, we found people who were not attending hospitals. When we introduced TB testing services in the communities, we found people who had TB,” he said.
He said health workers had also used sputum testing to identify TB cases in communities. According to Ndyanabo, 1,034 sputum samples were tested during a community screening exercise conducted between April and June, with 30 people testing positive for TB.
He urged people to seek testing whenever they develop symptoms associated with TB, saying delayed diagnosis increases the risk of transmission.
According to Dr Ndyanabo, a person with active, untreated TB may infect about 10 to 15 or more people in a year, depending on factors such as the duration and closeness of contact and ventilation.
Caravan targets wider development
The Nyabwina Caravan is part of AMDA’s annual outreach programme, through which members and development partners mobilise resources to support communities within the Archdiocese of Mbarara.
This year’s interventions focus on healthcare, education, vocational skills, agriculture, youth empowerment and other community development programmes.
The 2026 Caravan is running from September 4 to 6 at St Claret Catholic Parish, Nyabwina, with thousands of residents expected to benefit from the different services.